World’s Largest Ball
of Twine, Cawker City, KS

3 of 29

Frank Stoeber started winding
twine in his basement in 1953. Determined to outdo the mighty 12-foot-wide
Johnson Twine Ball in Darwin, MN, he labored tirelessly until his death in
1974, finishing one foot short of his goal. Since then, residents and tourists
visiting Cawker City have been adding to Stoeber’s ball in the annual
Twineathon held in August. It now weighs a hefty nine tons and measures 40 feet
in diameter. The twine is not without controversy: twine ball purists complain
that, much like running the marathon, twine balling should be an individual
pursuit. —Adam McCulloch

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America's Strangest Roadside Attractions

World’s Largest Ball
of Twine, Cawker City, KS

Frank Stoeber started winding
twine in his basement in 1953. Determined to outdo the mighty 12-foot-wide
Johnson Twine Ball in Darwin, MN, he labored tirelessly until his death in
1974, finishing one foot short of his goal. Since then, residents and tourists
visiting Cawker City have been adding to Stoeber’s ball in the annual
Twineathon held in August. It now weighs a hefty nine tons and measures 40 feet
in diameter. The twine is not without controversy: twine ball purists complain
that, much like running the marathon, twine balling should be an individual
pursuit. —Adam McCulloch